Department of Energy September 19, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to amend an interim final rule published elsewhere in today's Federal Register that establishes procedures for DOE coordination of all applicable Federal authorizations for the siting of interstate electric transmission facilities and related environmental reviews pursuant to section 216(h) of the Federal Power Act (FPA). This proposed rule would clarify a provision in section 216(h) that provides that the Secretary of Energy shall ensure that once an application for coordination has been submitted with such data as the Secretary considers necessary, all Federal authorization decisions and related environmental reviews under Federal laws must be completed within one year, or as soon thereafter as practicable in compliance with Federal law. The proposed rule also would require permitting agencies to inform DOE of requests for authorizations required under Federal law for the siting of significant facilities used for the transmission of electricity in interstate commerce, and it provides that DOE, as authorized by section 216(h), may establish intermediate milestones and ultimate deadlines for the review of such Federal authorization applications and decisions.